After spending time in a number of other areas, I decided to get down to serious business. Fishing. Many people enjoy recreational fishing. Growing up in Idaho, fishing was more on the line of a religion. Winer, Summer, Spring, Fall. There was ALWAYS somewhere they were biting. How do YOU feel about the subject. What techniques do YOU use to catch them? What do you do with them AFTER you catch them. What kind of fishies do you like? Personally I am pretty much of a pure trout person. I normally use a spinning rig, even when fly fishing. My little sister has offered to teach me fly fishing. (she is expert). We will see.

--------------------

"If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe." Carl Sagan

Thank you maisky for starting this subject. As a matter of fact, I was just talking to my wife about this yesterday.

I, myself, am mostly a Fly Fisherman. I do on occasion use my 7 1/2 foot ultralight spinning outfit with some jigs that I tie but mostly Fly Fishing.

I started Fly Fishing back in 1975 while I was up in Michigan. My Wife's uncle (at that time she was just my girlfriend (steady)) handed me his Fly Rod and told me if i had fun catching Bluegills then I would have a Blast catching them with a Fly Rod. He was Right. I had so much fun with it, I started working very hard learning the practice.

While now my favorite fish I like to fish for are Brown Trout and Rainbows, I do fish for other fish too.

I tie my own flies and mostly use nymphs, wet flies and streamers. I did manage to catch my first Trout on a dry fly this year and for those who know anything about flyfishing, how much a thrill it is to see the Trout come up and take you fly.

Mostly all I do is Catch and Release but I do practice Selective Harvest. And that is only when I am HUNGRY for fish.

I have taught several people how to Flyfish and it is exciting to see them when they catch their first fish.

I will most definitely post here more often with some of my stories and techniques.

--------------------

May your days be filled with Merriment and May you walk in Balance with Creator.

I started fishing at a very early age. My dad put a pole in my hands at about age 4. We went on family camping, fishing trips frequently. Fishing on the ranch was easy to come by, as well. Mostly it was rainbow, brook and cutthroat (native) species. Later on, while in Wyoming I got to catch Browns and lake trout.

Up until the last few years, the pattern was catch-and-eat. It wasn't until just the last few years that I took up catch-and-release. At JaneyMae's place, the trout at too big to make the best eating. For eating I prefer high mountain lake water (very cold). There the fish have a lot of fresh water shrimp in the summer, resulting in bright orange flesh and making them VERY tasty. Trout should be eaten withing a few hours of catching them, so when I say catch-and-eat, I mean it literally, sometimes building a small fire by where I am fishing and cooking them right there.

For the really big trout, catch and release is best. Poor JaneyMae has to deal with a "slot" limit. She can't keep anything under 16 inches long. That's ok, because the trout I have caught there (landed) were mostly bigger than that. The ones that I wasn't able to land (6 lb leader) were often MUCH bigger. Her trout are rainbow, brown, native's and Hybrids of those. The Hybrids are the most active. There are also lake trout upstream in the lake. You would have to ask JaneyMae WHERE this is. I am not permitted to tell.

As for HOW I fish, I have used most techniques other than a net. Bait, lures, flys and tickling. The last is fun in the little feeder streams into the high lakes and streams: not tackle, just hands.

WooHoo, big brother! Finally a topic I can really get excited about!!! Did I tell you that as of Jan. 1 the river is open year round? They are trying to thin out the rainbows and hybrids. You can keep those but have to release the cutthroats. If I can figure out how to get through the snow with my bum knee I'm going snowfly fishing. Can hardly wait.

Like my brother, I've had a fishing pole in my hand as long as I can remember. My children are the same way but don't have the fanaticism that I do for the sport. My grandbabies do tho. Tabitha loves to fish and eat what she catches. This is good.

I learned to fly fish as an adult, used to tie my own flies but haven't in a while. I worm fish in the spring before the trout are feeding on the surface or on wet flies. I cut the hook to free them so they aren't hurt. The hook disolves in a few hours. If I keep putting the fish back then I can catch them again.

I've mounted one, it is a cutthrout about 7 3/4 pounds and 28 inches long. I've caught a couple larger since but hate to kill the big ones. They need to go back and get bigger. I always use 6 lb. test leader or lighter. Had one on last summer that went to the middle and bottom of the river and ran upstream, took me clear to the backing of my fly line and was still going. I couldn't stop it. Finally my 12 lb leader broke. Never did see the bugger except when it too the fly. Had to have been a big brown.

Okay, so I guess I got a wee bit excited about this subject. Could run off at the keyboard all day on this one. Glad to see there are two me out there who like to fish as well as I do.

Richard, you should try "my" river......Maisky likes it here.

--------------------

JaneyMae

Tangle Goblinwitch: She is only seen in the enchanted moment between sleep and waking

"Never miss a chance to shut up." Will Rogers

Leprechauns, castles, good luck and laughter.Lullabies, dreams and love ever after.A thousand welcomes when anyone comes...That's the Irish for You!

I have never Fly fished but I have used multiple types of lures and I think that what I like best is to troll with spinners for Northern, Lake Trout and Walleye. Although Blue Gill through the ice with a grub on a hook can be fun.

--------------------

He is no fool who gives up that which he can not keep to gain that which he cannot loose

I have never Fly fished but I have used multiple types of lures and I think that what I like best is to troll with spinners for Northern, Lake Trout and Walleye. Although Blue Gill through the ice with a grub on a hook can be fun.

I find that Icefishing is fun if you use enough antifreeze while you are fishing.

The River that I love to fish here in Ohio is the Mad River. We have Browns and Rainbows but I have been told that there are some Cuts and some Brookies. I did catch one that looked like a Brookie from some of the pictures I have seen but not really sure, it did go 9 1/2' and was fun indeed to catch.

Most of the flies that I use range from 18's to 14's. I usually keep a supply of both natural and beadheads and they are:Gold Ribbed Hare's EarPrinceHendricksonElkhair CaddisMarch Brown

My Streamers are only a couple:Wooly Bugger, either in Black or Olive or a combination.Golden Darter, My own PatternSilver Darter, My own Pattern

We do have a good range of Blue-Winged Olives and Tricos

The River here is mostly like fishing a large creek or stream and by no means like a river at all where most of it's widest parts is 20 feet across with high banks and a lot of overhanging trees and shrubs. A deep hole is about 4 to 5 feet deep. But int the 27 years that I have been fishing there, the river has only frozed across twice and both times was when we had several days of sub -20 degrees F. Other than that I fish the river year round.

I recognized two of the flies you use: Elkhair Caddis and Wooly Bugger. I use mostly Jimmy's Hoppers, orange and yellow stimulaters, Trout flies, black moes, and redas* cadis. That's all I can think of at this point.

I'd love to fish other rivers but never get to any. I'm in Idaho on the South Fork of the Snake. This is one of the "One Fly" stops. The folks from Jackson, Wyoming are spending so much time here that, along with the guides, they are destroying the fishery. Sad. They are interested in the almighty dollar and not the river habitat.

Eamon, I'll teach you to flyfish if you'll teach me how to surf fish. I'd love to try it. I'd love to try any kind of fishing. I'd love to be a professional fisherman.

Thats a deal. I don't get to fish nearly enough, and you can actually get some decent surf fishing in off the coast of New Jersey (the water conditions have improved dramaticaly over the past few years). My Godson is old enough now to enjoy fishing, so I am going to take him out this spring. His dad is one heck of a Bass angler!